Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

Written by Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

, | Updated: December 9, 2024

Find our expert reviews of reputable and regulated Cheltenham Festival racing betting sites. Each bookmaker has been thoroughly checked by our team with real money account.

Few are the events in the horse racing field that can boast of having the scale of the Cheltenham Festival and the abundance of betting opportunities it provides. If you, like us, do not have the opportunity to visit the event in person and immerse yourself in its atmosphere while waiting to see if your favorite will win one of the races, you should choose a reliable bookmaker that will accept your wagers. To assist you in your choice, we have selected ten bookies that have proved to provide a legitimate and fair horse racing betting environment.

Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites Ranked by Trustpilot Rating

Comparison of Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

Best Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

1. Bovada

   

   Bet Now Review

   Licenses

   Union of the Comoros

   Min Deposit

   • $10 - Crypto, Player Transfer, MatchPay• $20 - Bank Cards• $50 - Direct Bank Transfer

   Min Withdrawal

   • $10 - Voucher, MatchPay• $250 - Check by Courier• $1,500 - Bank Wire• $10 - All crypto except USDT and ETH• $50 - USDT and ETH

   Withdrawal Time

   • Bitcoin - Up to 24 hours • Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Tether, and Litecoin - Up to 1 hour• Check by Courier - Approximately 10-15 Business Days • Bank Wire - Approximately 10-15 business days

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   N/A

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes Email: service@bovada.lv Phone: N/A
   

   

   • Focus on North American sports
   • Diverse horse racing bet types
   • No upper limit on crypto withdrawals
   • Lucrative promotional offers
   • Accepts punters from the US
   • Multi-channel customer support

   Bovada is a Curaçao licensed gambling operator that has been working on the US betting market for over two decades. Its platform comprises a casino, poker, sport, and horses sections thus leaving no space for boredom. Customer support is available 24/7 by phone, email, and live chat. The services provided by Bovada are accessible to betting enthusiasts residing in the US except for the DE, MD, NJ, NV, and NY states.

   The bookie features multiple events in both American and international sports with some of them enjoying impressively extensive coverage. One of them is horse racing where a whole range of bet types can be placed on events held in the UK, Australia, Canada, and the US. Racing cards contain a whole slew of useful data that can help punters make informed decisions regarding a certain event.

   Bovada has launched separate welcome bonuses for all its gambling products with no restrictions on which ones to use. In addition to that, sports bettors are entitled to benefit from another welcome promotion as soon as they make their first deposit via any of the accepted cryptocurrencies. The rest of the payment methods accepted by Bovada are Mastercard and Visa credit cards, Bovada vouchers, checks, and Zelle.

2. Karamba

   

   Review

   Licenses

   UKGC (39483), MGA (MGA/B2B/147/2007, MGA/CRP/148/2007, MGA/CRP/148/2007-01)

   Min Deposit

   €/£/$10

   Min Withdrawal

   €/£/$10

   Withdrawal Time

   Bank Cards: 0-6 business daysDigital Wallets: 0-2 business daysAstroPay: 3 business daysBank Transfer: 2-6 business daysPay4Fun: 0-4 business daysBoleto: n/aPix: 0-4 business days

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   N/A

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes Email: support@karamba.com
   

   • Licensed by reputable authorities
   • Diverse selection of sports
   • Single, combi, and system bets allowed
   • Remarkable abundance of racing events
   • Karamba Battle feature
   • Customer support available from 08:00 CET to 00:00 CET

   Having added a sportsbook to its portfolio in 2018, Karamba is still considered a newcomer to the online sports betting field. However, the quality of the provided service is impressive enough to attract a year-on-year increasing number of registered users. The main drivers of this trend are the extensive sports coverage, the various supported payment methods, and the licenses issued only by reputable regulatory bodies.

   Punters who decide to set up accounts with Karamba have the option to choose between its main betting site and both downloadable and in-browser applications. The number of disciplines on which you can place your bets exceeds 30, the most popular being soccer, horse racing, greyhounds, tennis, basketball, and American football. When it comes to horse races, most of the featured events are held in Europe although races in the US and some other regions also enjoy decent coverage. A single click on the respective odds adds your selection to the betslip, which after you enter the stake amount, automatically calculates the eventual payout.

   Karamba’s platform is available in seven languages – English, German, Norwegian, Finnish, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. As for the payment service providers the bookmaker operates with, they include without being limited to Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, PayPal, Astropay, Interac, etc.

3. bet365

   

   Bet Now Review

   Licenses

   UKGC (#055148-R-331498-001) MGA (#MGA/CRP/531/2018) Government of Gibraltar (#076) +10 jurisdictions (including US states)

   Min Deposit

   $/€10

   Min Withdrawal

   $/€10

   Withdrawal Time

   * E-wallets - 1-4 hours* Debit Card - 1-4 hours* Credit Cards - 1-5 days* Wire Transfer - up to 12 hours

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   UEFA Champions League

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes email: support.eng@customerservices365.com Phone: 00 800 1236 5365
   

   

   • Widely known betting operator
   • Lots of currencies accepted
   • Fee-free transactions
   • Huge selection of sports
   • Many horse racing events
   • Plenty of bonuses and promotions

   If you ask us about a licensed global online bookmaker that accepts transactions in local currencies and has a rich sports library and an excellent horse racing section, one of the first names that will come to mind is bet365. With over 30 disciplines available for betting and payment solutions tailored to the habits of different types of punters, it is no wonder that bet365 is preferred by betting enthusiasts from all over the world.

   It seems that the team behind the platform knows the market well as it applies approaches that are well received by users. One of them is to provide avid bettors with as much convenience as possible via a set of advantageous betting features and the opportunity to read the relevant information in their native language. Currently, the online sportsbook has 20 language versions and quite a few features such as Best Odds Guaranteed, Price promise, Cash Out, and Bet Builder.

   Bet365 is one of the few online bookmakers that features horse races conducted in South America and Asia in addition to the usual racing destinations UK & Ireland, Australia, the US, and SA. As regards the Cheltenham Festival, the bookie accepts wagers on 18 of the 28 races including the four showcase events. The Winner market is always “open” while others are provided on request.

4. Mr Green

   

   Bet Now Review

   Licenses

   UKGC (#039264-R-319432-018) Ireland’s Revenue Commissioner (#1011600) MGA (#MGA/CRP/121/2006) Danish Gambling Authority (#18-0457046) Swedish Gambling Authority (#23Si2199)

   Min Deposit

   $/€10

   Min Withdrawal

   $/€10

   Withdrawal Time

   • Credit/Debit cards - up to 3 days• Bank transfers and Trustly - up to 5 business days• E-wallets and Paysafe wallets - up to 2 hours

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   N/A

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes email: customerservice@mrgreen.com Phone: N/A
   

   

   • Well-regulated bookmaker
   • 25+ sports covered
   • Separate sections for trotting and horse racing
   • Accepts transactions via PayPal
   • Android and iOS dedicated apps
   • 24/7 customer support

   Mr Green is a modern betting operator that is capable of providing just about everything a gambler would want when considering a sportsbook and casino in one platform. The sports coverage is more extensive than the one of more experienced online bookmakers which serves to show that Mr Green has the ambition to occupy a leading position in this industry sector. There are several prerequisites for this, namely a user-friendly layout, a decent selection of payment solutions, and tempting promotions, all this backed up by UKGC, MGA, and other licenses.

   As regards horse racing, it can be seen that the bookmaker has stepped on the right path although there is still some work to be done. Betting enthusiasts who set up accounts with Mr Green have the opportunity to wager on multiple horse races conducted in the UK, Ireland, the US, and Australia. Apart from the usual race cards with the respective starting prices, betting enthusiasts have the chance to win big by trying one of the daily provided Enhance Win Doubles and/or Enhanced Win Trebles.

   Unlike the early years of Mr Green’s operation, today the brand allows for using its services regardless of time and location. Punters can enjoy their pastime either through their desktop computers or via a preferred Android or iOS device after downloading the dedicated casino & betting applications.

5. Sports Interaction

   

   Bet Now Review

   Licenses

   Kahnawake Gaming Commission; The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (#OPIG1242525)

   Min Deposit

   $10

   Min Withdrawal

   $10

   Withdrawal Time

   • Bank cards - 3-5 banking days• E-wallets - within 8 hours• Bank Transfers - 3-5 bankig days• Instant Banking - instant

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   NHL

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes email: Contact Us Form Phone: N/A
   

   

   • Highly ranked online bookmaker
   • Lots of bet types available
   • Very good coverage of US-popular sports
   • Various payment methods
   • Several gambling products
   • Minimum legal age - 19 years

   Sports Interaction (SIA) is a respected online gambling brand that has been serving the Canadian market since 1997. Although SIA’s portfolio is multi-layered comprising casino, poker, game, and other sections, its undisputed flagman is the sportsbook. Considering the high interest in horse races, the operator enables punters to access them either by exploring the general list of disciplines or via a separate racebook.

   The focus on North American sports is obvious. Football, baseball, and golf are declared the most popular on the platform. Fortunately, the bookie has a professional approach to other disciplines too, with its coverage of soccer leagues and tournaments being particularly impressive. As regards horse racing, the exact selection of events is hard to determine since Sports Interaction only displays the races it currently accepts bets on. That is why the racebook can be empty one day and bursting at the seams with events the next.

   Of the seven bonuses and promotions offered by SIA, five are related to sports betting. They include a refer-a-friend offering with no restriction on the number of new users you can attract, a generous welcome bonus, and daily odds boosts. When it comes to the payment methods you can fund your account with, the variety is pretty good. The universally used Mastercard and Visa cards and Paysafecard vouchers are accepted as well as ecoPayz, iDebit, Interac, and Instadebit.

6. Betway

   

   Bet Now Review

   Licenses

   UKGC (#000-039372-R-319367) MGA (#MGA/B2C/130/2006) GGL (#RPDA-Dez. III. 34-73c 38.01/8-2019/13) Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (#10181496-010)

   Min Deposit

   $/€10

   Min Withdrawal

   $/€10

   Withdrawal Time

   • E-wallets - up to 24 hours• Debit cards and bank transfers - 2 business days

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   Arsenal FC, West Ham United FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Atletico Madrid FC

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes Email: support@betway.com Phone: varies according to country
   

   

   • Reputable betting operator
   • Extensive sports coverage
   • Country-specific promotions
   • Detailed statistical information
   • Sponsor of the Cheltenham Festival
   • Accepts US bettors from 7 states

   If you are an avid horse racing punter looking for a bookmaker with a special attitude towards this fascinating sport, you should beyond any doubt give Betway a try. Not only has it compiled an excellent online racebook with races held in the US, Europe, Asia, and South Africa but is also the sponsor of the Queen Mother Champion Chase held on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. As regards this major National Hunt racing event, Betway currently accepted wagers on 11 out of 28 races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Stayers Hurdle, the Arkle Novices Chase, and others.

   As stated on Betway’s platform, this online bookmaker strives to be a “friendly face, giving you the chance to make a punt on your horse, armed with as much information as possible”. We cannot think of another sportsbook giving that much statistical and historical information that spreads on all featured horse races and each of their entrants.

   According to Betway’s website, the brand accepts US punters residing in the AZ, CO, IN, IA, NJ, PA, and VA states. In addition to its licenses from the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, the brand is monitored by the local regulatory bodies in Italy, Denmark, Spain, and others. Betway does not support crypto transactions but enables deposits and withdrawals via several e-wallets including PayPal as well as debit cards, bank transfers, and online banking services.

7. NetBet

   

   Review

   Licenses

   MGA (MGA/B2C/126/2006)UKGC (39170)

   Min Deposit

   $/£/€10

   Min Withdrawal

   $/£/€10

   Withdrawal Time

   Bank cards - 2-4 business daysE-wallets - 1 business dayBank transfers - up to 48 hours

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   Premier League West Bromwich Albion; Ligue 1 St. Etienne, FC Steaua București

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: YesEmail: support@netbet.comPhone: N/A
   

   

   • Rich selection of sports
   • UKGC and MGA licenses
   • 24-hour e-wallet withdrawals
   • Bet Maker feature of up to 6 selections
   • Lots of horse racing events
   • Cash Out and Partial Cash Out

   NetBet is a reputable and well-regulated online bookmaker that enjoys one of the highest customer rankings in the industry. A reference with the Trustpilot platform shows an average score of 4.3 out of 5, which is not an often phenomenon in the gambling field. The 68% positive feedback is due mainly to the fast-responding customer support team and the betting interface that allows for easy navigation through the sportsbook’s sections.

   As far as payment solutions are concerned, NetBet relies mainly on bank cards and digital wallets which is not bad but could definitely be better. On the other hand, the bookie accepts transactions via QIWI, Euteller, Sofort, and Moneta.ru which are not that widely spread, so we consider the financial variety rather satisfying. Keep in mind that there is a 1.5% transaction fee for withdrawals of over $500.

   In terms of the number of events to bet on available at the NetBet platform, horse racing currently ranks fourth, only behind soccer, basketball, and greyhounds. The difference from the latter two disciplines is within the standard margin of error, so we can safely say that horse racing is among the most popular sports featured by NetBet. The accepted betting markets for each race are divided into different categories, each of them having a separate tab.

8. 888sport

   

   Bet Now Review

   Licenses

   UKGC (#039028-R-319297-012) MGA (#MGA/CRP/543/2018) Government of Gibraltar (#112 and #113)

   Min Deposit

   $/€10

   Min Withdrawal

   $/€10

   Withdrawal Time

   • E-wallets and Rapid Transfer - 2-3 days• Visa and ApplePay - up to 6 days• Wire transfer - 5-8 days

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   National Football League (NFL), Dundalk Football Club, Cardiff City FC

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes email: support@888sport.com Phone: N/A
   

   

   • Well-established betting brand
   • 30+ sports
   • Local payment services accepted
   • $10 minimum deposit
   • Diverse selection of horse races
   • Handful of sports promotions

   Established in 1997, 888sport is a respected gambling brand with plenty of loyal users from many parts of the globe. Initially known as a casino and poker site, in 2008 the brand added an online sportsbook to its portfolio that possesses the three must-haves of a trustworthy and successful betting operator – reliable licenses, diverse sports selection, and plenty of payment solutions. On top of that, 888sport has developed individual websites for its users from Germany, Romania, Denmark, Ontario, Spain, Italy, and Sweden as well as seven language versions of the international platform.

   Among the more than 30 sports available for betting, a few disciplines stand out with a particularly extensive coverage – horse racing, soccer, and tennis. The number of daily covered horse races is extremely large with events starting in less than 5 minutes apart. The UK, Australia, and the US are from all the regions featured by the bookie. 888sport gives its users the opportunity to place their bets on some races that are hardly seen with other online sportsbooks such as Funabashi in Japan, Bangalore in India, and Las Piedras in Uruguay.

   In such an abundance of options, it may be a tough task to find a particular horse race unless it is a major one such as the Cheltenham Festival. Or maybe you bet only on horses that meet certain criteria? In such cases, the Betfinder feature provided by 888sport turns out to be very useful. Comprising 18 indicators, it is capable of reducing the number of bets from more than a thousand to 30 or even less.

9. BetUSR

   

   Bet Now Review

   Licenses

   Curacao

   Min Deposit

   • Bitcoin - $20• P2P - $100

   Min Withdrawal

   • Bitcoin - $25• Bank Wire- $100

   Withdrawal Time

   • Bank Wire - 5 to 7days• Bitcoin - 48 hours

   Deposit Methods

   

   Sponsorships

   • Tramaine Williams at 2020 WBO 122lb World Championship • Jamel Herring in his 2021 fight vs. Carl Frampton

   Contact Details

   Live Chat: Yes Phone: 1-844-444-BUSR(2877) Email: support@busr.com
   

   

   • Over 20 sports available
   • Excellent horse racing category
   • Racing and sports-related promotions
   • Very few withdrawal options
   • Three-channel customer support
   • Licensed in Curaçao

   In today’s online sports betting landscape, clean and simple web design without flashy banner ads is a rarity. In an effort to show that they provide a lot of options to their customers, many bookmakers clutter their home pages with information and thus actually turn away those betting enthusiasts who fail to navigate through the respective platform. BUSR has made neither of these mistakes and logically enjoys a large user base mainly composed of US-based punters.

   We cannot say that the portfolio of this online sportsbook is the most abundant one in the market but it is surely far better than the ones of other locally focused betting platforms. A lot of attention is paid to the NFL, MBL, and the NBA as these are the leagues that attract the greatest number of viewers and bettors in the US. However, the fans of sports more popular in Europe are not completely neglected with the soccer and tennis sections having the qualities to compete with the ones of leading EU betting brands.

   The simplicity we mentioned above is also evident in the online racebook maintained by BUSR. When you enter that particular section of the bookie’s platform you will only see 8 featured races starting within the current 24-hour period as well as the next immediately upcoming event. If you do not find a suitable race to place your bet on, you can turn your gaze to the left column of the screen which accommodates horse races in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and Sweden.

10. BetOnline

    

    Licenses

    Panama

    Min Deposit

    Cards: $25Crypto: $20Wire Transfer: $500

    Min Withdrawal

    Crypto: $20Wire Transfer: $500Courier Check: $500

    Withdrawal Time

    Wire Transfer: up to 15 daysCheck: Up to 7 daysCrypto: Up to 24 hours

    Deposit Methods

    

    Sponsorships

    Major League WrestlingVantage Tag Systems

    Contact Details

    Live Chat: YesEmail: help@betonlinecs.agPhone: 1-888-426-3661
    

    

    • Easy-to-use betting platform
    • International horse racing coverage
    • Cryptocurrencies accepted
    • High withdrawal limit
    • Exclusive promotion for mobile betting
    • Customer support around the clock

    BetOnline is a trustworthy online betting platform with over 25 years of experience. This US-friendly bookmaker has compiled a portfolio of over 20 disciplines supplemented by Financials, Entertainment, Politics, and Lottery sections. Registered users can freely switch between a classic and a modern version of the brand’s website.

    Account registration takes a few minutes only after which you are free to fund your account balance via one of the multiple payment solutions. The latter comprise without being limited to bank transfers, credit/debit cards, cryptocurrencies, and person-to-person transfers. Unlike many of its competitors, BetOnline does not restrict the access to its financial T&Cs. Just the contrary, the relevant information is readily available for everybody interested.

    Gambling operators that are primarily focused on one region usually cannot boast of having abundant sports selections. However, this is not the case with BetOnline which accepts wagers on popular disciplines such as baseball, basketball, American football, golf, and soccer as well as quite a few niche sports like wrestling, darts, and handball. We were pleased to find that the popular US horse races are far from the only such events covered by the bookie. Punters can wager on most major international racing events which become visible on BetOnline’s website as soon as the bookmaker starts accepting bets.

Cheltenham Festival Betting Overview

Hosting races since 1860, the Cheltenham Festival is the icing on the cake for the National Hunt season in the UK. In its modern form, the event takes place over 4 days every March, on a racecourse located in Prestbury Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. In 2022, the races were attended by more than 280,000 avid fans and millions watched the live broadcasts.

The Cheltenham Festival does not deviate from the general trend and the prevailing part of its spectators are punters as well. A look at the winning odds over the years shows that Grade 3 handicaps are the races with the highest average-priced winners. Logically, at the other extreme are the most prominent Grade 1 events. Currently, the race with the lowest winner odds is the Champion Chase – a little over 9/2. The total amount of bets has been increasing in recent years and that is why bookmakers eagerly expect every edition of the Cheltenham Festival just as punters do.

Cheltenham Festival Highlights

The number of horse races held within the Cheltenham Festival has changed many times until it reached 28 distributed evenly over four days. Thousands of horse racing fans crowd the premises of the event or watch the broadcasts of Grade 1, 2, and 3 as well as ungraded races with the obstacles being hurdles, fences, cross country (Cross Country Chase), and NHF (Champion Bumper). With very few exceptions, all races have sponsors which are online bookmakers, whiskey distilleries, investment consultancy agencies, and others.

Landmark Cheltenham Festival Races

Although quality is an undisputed feature of the four Cheltenham days, each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday has its showcase race that is more famous than the others and attracts the bigger share of bets placed. In the table below, these landmark events are given in bold, and now we will say a few words about each of them.

1. Champion Hurdle

   This is the last leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling and takes place on the first day of the Festival every year. After its inauguration in 1927, the Champion Hurdle has become the most prestigious hurdling event in the National Hunt season having welcomed many of the most prominent horses in the history of this sport. Some of them such as Hatton’s Grace and Persian War have races named after them. The shortest-priced entrant to win the Champion Hurdle was Sir Ken with a SP of ⅖ in his second out of three consecutive victories.

2. Queen Mother Champion Chase

   Initially known as the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase, this Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase got its current name in 1980 honoring Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother for her 80th birthday and acknowledging her support to jump racing. Only one horse has won the race three times – Badsworth Boy between 1983 and 1985.

3. Stayers’ Hurdle

   The feature event of the third day of the Cheltenham Festival is one of the leading long-distance (4,785 m) races in the National Hunt calendar. The Stayers’ Hurdle is probably the showcase event of the Festival with the most inconstant and dynamic history. It was dropped from the event’s program twice, in 1928–1929 and 1939–1945, and changed its name several times due to sponsorship requirements. The most successful partnership in the history of the Stayers’ Hurdle is the one of Big Buck (one of the greatest staying hurdlers) and his jockey Ruby Walsh who managed to gain the victory record four times. Walsh has one more title under his belt, riding the small horse with big heart Nichols Canyon in 2017.

4. Cheltenham Gold Cup

   Sometimes referred to as the Blue Riband of jump-racing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is undisputedly the most prominent National Hunt Event. This steeplechase has a length of 5.294m and 22 fences to be jumped. It is also the non-handicap horse race in the UK with the highest prize fund – £468,750 in 2021. The superiority of Golden Mirror, the most successful horse to compete in the Cheltenham Gold Cup was so huge on the eve of his fifth successive victory in 1936 that the bookies gave him a starting price of 1/10 (£1 for every £10 wagered).

   2022 Cheltenham Cup Races
   Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
   Supreme Novices’ Hurdle	Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle	Golden Miller Novices’ Chase	Triumph Hurdle
   Arkle Challenge Trophy	Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase	Pertemps Final	County Handicap Hurdle
   Festival Trophy Handicap Chase	Coral Cup	Festival Trophy	Spa Novices’ Hurdle
   Champion Hurdle	Queen Mother Champion Chase	Stayers’ Hurdle	Cheltenham Gold Cup
   David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle	Cross Country Chase	Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase	Foxhunter Chase
   Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle	Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase	Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle	Liberthine Mares’ Chase
   National Hunt Challenge Cup	Champion Bumper	Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup	Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

The Cheltenham Roar

Each of the major horse races in the world has its own specific atmosphere, which has milestones not directly related to the horses themselves. For the Grand National and Melbourne Cup, it is the ladies’ extravagant hats and beautiful dresses, as well as the many culinary and musical events taking place. Not that such factors do not affect the spirit of the Cheltenham Festival, especially with the Guinness Village in mind, but it seems that the most indicative feature which remains in the minds of those who visited or watched the races conducted on the racetrack in Prestbury Park is the so-called Cheltenham Roar.

Tips for Successful Cheltenham Festival Betting

Betting odds are not just random numbers but based on bookies’ analyses and/or punters’ activity trends. However, your wagering approach and ability to take event-specific factors into consideration largely contribute to better chances of making the right predictions on a particular horse race. Below, we have listed some Cheltenham Festival betting tips to help you build a proper strategy. Of course, the more you know the entrants involved, the more likely it is the learned lessons to really bring you profit.

1. Do not put all your money on the first short-priced favorite that shows up in the festival schedule. As this is not a single race but a four-day event we could define it more like a marathon than a sprint. What we mean is that as the festival progresses it is quite possible that new valuable betting opportunities will emerge. So, determine your wagering budget (the sum you can afford to lose) and distribute it such that you can promptly react to a winning chance on each of the event days. And let us not forget that the Cheltenham Gold Cup is held on Friday.
2. It is worth keeping an eye on preliminary races. Cheltenham’s race tracks have unique characteristics, one of which is the famous hill towards the finish line. What is more, the Festival has a heated atmosphere with thousands of loud spectators eagerly supporting their favorites. For a horse to win, both physical and mental endurance are required. What better opportunity to check them than watching how entrants perform on the same track as the showcase event? How the season went until the start of the Cheltenham Festival is also important. Some bookmakers publish quite detailed statistical information, read it before placing your bets.
3. Champions are not always bred in power yards. With this advice, we want to emphasize again how important it is to know the horses and jockeys you place your bets on. Large big-budget stables probably provide better training facilities, but when it comes to handicap racing, the talent of small-time trainers does provide surprising winners. As we mentioned above, the winners with the longest average odds are in this horse racing category.
4. Pay attention to big market moves. In horse races of the rank of the Cheltenham Festival, it takes quite a lot of money to be wagered on a certain horse to appreciably shorten its odds of winning. There are many examples of winners in which there has been increased punter interest in the recent history of this event.
5. Take advantage of the competition between online bookmakers. The rivalry between today’s bookies is always contested but when the time of a major sporting event like the Cheltenham Festival comes, it becomes fierce. This translates both into the provision of exclusive promotional offers and enhanced betting odds for specific horse races. Such tempting features include but are not limited to Best Odds Guaranteed and additional each-way places.

Cheltenham Festival FAQ

1. What is the difference between fences and hurdles in National Hunt racing?

   Both fences and hurdles are obstacles to vault while racing, however, they differ in construction, height, and rigidity. Fences are used in steeplechase races and are bigger and more solid than hurdles. The latter are usually made of brush, they are quite flexible and have a minimum height of 3ft 6in. The height of fences ranges between 4ft 6in and 6ft 6in with the maximum being applied in the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival.

2. What is the oldest race in the Cheltenham Festival?

   The oldest race held within the current format of the Cheltenham Festival is the Stayers’ Hurdle. It was first run in 1912 with the prize for the winner amounting to just £100. In 2021, the same prize was £135,048.

3. How can I know if I am wagering with the best possible Cheltenham odds?

   Some top-notch online bookmakers provide a feature called Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG). If you have placed a BOG-protected bet and it turns out to be winning but at a price higher than the one at the moment of confirming the wager, the bookie will give you a payout as per that more profitable price. If you have made a successful prediction but the odds get shortened before the race ends, you will be paid in accordance with the initial beneficial conditions.

4. Which is the most successful horse in the Cheltenham Festival history?

   Until recently, the horse holding the record for the most consecutive wins within the Cheltenham Festival was Golden Mirror. He conquered 5 Golden Cup titles in a row for the period between 1932 and 1936. In 2014, this impressive achievement was beaten by Quevega who won the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle for the sixth time ridden by none other than Ruby Walsh.

5. Is it possible for one horse to win both a Cheltenham Festival race and the Grand National?

   Let’s say it like that – it is not impossible. However, we are unlikely to witness such a stunning accomplishment. For the nearly hundred years of coexistence of the two prominent UK horse racing events, the only entrant to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National within the same year was the legendary Golden Mirror in 1934.